Highland Pellets LLC, an Arkansas company, announced the completion of the building of a 600,000 metric tons of pellets per year wood pellet plant in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Continue reading "Highland Pellets completes 600,000 mt/yr pellet plant in Arkansas; production to be shipped to Drax"
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Ghana exports more sawnwood to Asian markets
Ghana’s wood products exports in the first seven months of this year totalled 228,387 cubic metres and earned Euro 130,732 million. Compared to the same period last year the performance in up to July recorded a 10% increase in export volumes and a 24% increase in export earnings.
The leading export products up to July were air-dry sawnwood (60%), kiln-dry sawnwood (13%), plywood to regional markets (9%), roundwood billets (8%) and sliced veneer (4%) with other wood products accounting for the remaining 6%.
Export shipments of wood products from Ghana were largely to the Asian markets which accounted for 72% followed by African regional markets (12%) and Europe (11%).
The Middle East and America accounted for the balance. It was only the Asian markets where an increase in exports was achieved.
| January-July 2015 | January-July 2016 | Y-on-Y | |||
| m3 | % | m3 | % | Change % | |
| Asia | 121,578 | 58.7 | 164,769 | 72.2 | 13.4 |
| Europe | 25,829 | 12.5 | 25,363 | 11.1 | -1.4 |
| Africa | 40,784 | 19.7 | 26,599 | 11.6 | -8 |
| America | 13,007 | 6.3 | 7,549 | 3.3 | -3 |
| Middle East | 5,853 | 2.8 | 4,08 | 1.8 | -1 |
| Total | 207.051 | 228.36 | |||
Roundwood purchases rise by 7% in Finland
Finnish Forest Industries Federation's member companies bought 7% more wood from private forests during January-October 2016. Continue reading "Roundwood purchases rise by 7% in Finland"
Germany: Softwood lumber exports increased by 2% in volume terms
In the first seven months of 2016, Germany's softwood lumber exports rose in volume by 2% against the same period of 2015.
According to the latest figures issued by Eurostat, the total export volume reached 4.3 million m2 during January-August. Yet, the value of the exports decreased by -3%, down to EUR 817 million, from the EUR 840 million during the corresponding period of 2015. Continue reading "Germany: Softwood lumber exports increased by 2% in volume terms"
USNR to acquire Ventek
US wood product machinery manufacturer USNR has announced it has acquired Ventek, Inc., a manufacturer of veneer scanning, grading, and handling systems for the plywood industry.
Based in Eugene, Oregon, Ventek has designed and built vision-based and moisture-based grading solutions for veneer since the company was founded in 1991. Ventek is most known for its flagship patented multi-point diverter, which tracks and sorts trash veneer into the haul back, and random and fishtail veneers onto designated trays.
“Our customers on the lumber side of our business have long recognized the value of tightly integrated mechanical and optimization technology,” said Chris Blomquist USNR VP of sales and engineering. “With the addition of Ventek’s veneer scanning, grading, and handling solutions to USNR’s lathe, dryer, and downstream product portfolio, we now have an opportunity to bring this integration benefit to our customers on the plywood side of our business as well.”
Rodger Van Voorhis, formerly President of Ventek and one of its founders, added, “I think there are going to be a lot of great opportunities to learn from each other – such as taking our plywood technology and applying it to lumber grading, and vice versa,”.
Van Voorhis has now joined USNR as director of sales for veneer systems. “I am tremendously pleased that Rodger and the rest of the Ventek tea have decided to join USNR to help us build the next generation of products for the plywood industry,” commented Alan Knokey, Vice President responsible for USNR’s plywood and panel business. “The people – the engineers, the service technicians, the guys who actually build the systems, and everyone who supports them – they are the most important part of this transaction.”
USNR / Söderhamn Eriksson operates five large manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada, and Sweden, in addition to more than a dozen regional engineering, service, and sales offices in North America and across Europe. USNR / Söderhamn Eriksson is best known around the world for providing end-to-end solutions for sawmills and planermills, including log lines, curve sawing gangs, edger lines, trim-sort-stack systems, dry kilns, and the optimization and control technologies that maximize the output and performance of that equipment.
UK timber prices on the rise, with up to 6.8% increase
Following the Brexit, effects are to be shown in the timber prices in the UK. Thus, the upward trend is generated by a cost rise of the raw materials. Continue reading "UK timber prices on the rise, with up to 6.8% increase"
Austria: Falling softwood lumber prices in November
In November, most softwood lumber assortments in Austria are on a declining price trend. The only exception is the price for edge boards which has increased both as compared to the previous month, as well as over November 2015.
Rough and square boards show at least over the previous year a slight upward trend. Compared to the previous month, the price for rough boards is stable, while squares are slightly cheaper. Continue reading "Austria: Falling softwood lumber prices in November"
Latvijas Finieris’ starts second phase of EUR 80 million plywood plant expansion in Kohila, Estonia
Latvijas Finieris’ company, OU Kohila Vineer, will open its second phase of a EUR 80 million factory extension project at Kohila, Estonia. Continue reading "Latvijas Finieris’ starts second phase of EUR 80 million plywood plant expansion in Kohila, Estonia"
UPM invests EUR 40 million in the expansion of its Otepää plywood mill
The expansion of UPM Otepää plywood mill, started in the spring of 2015 along with the building of the new bio boiler plant, has been completed and will be inaugurated today. The expansion increases the mill's production capacity to 90,000 cubic meters per year. The new bio boiler plant, in turn, enhances the mill's material efficiency and reduces fossil carbon dioxide emissions by 85%. The investments total to approximately EUR 40 million. Continue reading "UPM invests EUR 40 million in the expansion of its Otepää plywood mill"
US lumber prices slipped $1 last week
Framing lumber sales remained placid during last week in the US. Buyers limited purchases to immediate needs, as they absorbed the outcome of Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election.
The prospect of a more business-friendly Trump administration heartened many traders, while they also pondered how the new leadership might impact lumber trade negotiations with Canada. With prices moving modestly in either direction, the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price slipped $1. Continue reading "US lumber prices slipped $1 last week"
European sawmills continue to expand their presence on the Chinese timber market in 2016
Following some booming past years, when the European sawmills massively increased their exports to China, it seems that 2016 continues on the same pattern. Backed by an expanding Chinese housing market and a corresponding rising timber demand, the EU countries are continuously making their presence felt in China, although at lower levels than the traditional Chinese trading partners. Even if Russia, Canada, US and more recently New Zealand are the major lumber suppliers for China, Europe has managed to expand its position in the Chinese market, which is very promising for the upcoming years.
According to the latest Eurostat figures, in the first eight months of 2016, EU's softwood logs exports to China increased by 53% over the same period of 2015. France has the lead, with a share of 20% of all European exports (and a 0% increase yoy), followed closely by Estonia (19% share) and Lithuania (17% share and tripled exports). Continue reading "European sawmills continue to expand their presence on the Chinese timber market in 2016"
Swiss Krono Group opens 300,000 m3/yr OSB plant in Hungary
The Swiss Krono Group inaugurated a new wood processing plant producing oriented strand board (OSB) Wednesday, completed through an investment of HUF 30 billion (around EUR 96 million) in Vásárosnamény, northeast Hungary.
Swiss Kronoʼs Hungarian subsidiary received a grant of several billion forints for the investment, which creates more than 100 jobs, László Szabó, state secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said at the opening ceremony, as quoted by the Hungarian news agency MTI.
He said the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) is currently in talks with eight Swiss companies, whose projects could create a total of almost 1,600 new jobs in Hungary through investments worth a combined EUR 108.6 million.
Ines Kaindl-Benes, chair of the board at the Swiss Krono Group, said the new plant has been established at the site of former wood processing company Interspan Faipari, which was shut down in 2011.
Swiss Krono Hungary will produce 300,000 cubic meters of OSB a year, increasing the groupʼs total output by 20% from the current 1.5 million cubic meters. The products will be sold in Hungary and neighboring countries.
Canada’s softwood lumber industry hangs on Trump’s new agenda
Once with the election of the new protectionist president of the United States and the opening of the Toronto Stock Exchange on the 9th of November, the Western Forest Products Inc. stock fell on the uncertain future of Canada’s softwood lumber industry. Continue reading "Canada’s softwood lumber industry hangs on Trump’s new agenda"
Raute to supply LVL production line to Metsä Wood
Raute Corporation has received orders worth approximately EUR 25 million from Metsä Wood, the Wood Products Business Area of Metsä Group. The orders are related to the investment program resolved and disclosed by Metsä Group on June 8, 2016.
The orders now received by Raute consist of a Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) production line to be delivered to the Metsä Wood's LVL mill in Lohja, and machinery and equipment for a birch veneer production plant to be set up in Äänekoski. Installation and commissioning of the new LVL line in Lohja will start during the first quarter of 2017, and installation and commissioning of the birch plywood production line in Äänekoski will start during the fourth quarter of 2017.
The cooperation between Raute and Metsä Wood has continued for a long period and the production processes in Metsä Wood's plywood and LVL mills have mostly been implemented by machinery and equipment delivered by Raute. Raute and Metsä Wood also have wide cooperation in the maintenance and development of the production processes.
Negotiations and planning of projects concerning other parts of the projects disclosed by Metsä Group on June 8 continue actively.
The present orders worth EUR 25 million have no impact on Raute's previously disclosed outlook for 2016. Based on the existing order book and the prevalent market situation, Raute's net sales and operating profit for 2016 are expected to remain at the same level as in 2015.
Plywood industry in India to benefit from GST regime implementation
The future implementation of the GST-regime will benefit the plywood industry in India, where there’s an 80% market share in the unorganized sector. Continue reading "Plywood industry in India to benefit from GST regime implementation"
Wood pellets' price in Switzerland rises in month, but still lower than a year ago
The average retail price for wood pellets in Switzerland increased during November 2016, to 367.1 CHF/t (341.19 EUR/t). This represents a 0.52% increase over October (365.2 CHF/t), but a 3.34% decrease as compared to November 2015. Continue reading "Wood pellets' price in Switzerland rises in month, but still lower than a year ago"
Wood pellets’ price in Switzerland rises in month, but still lower than a year ago
The average retail price for wood pellets in Switzerland increased during November 2016, to 367.1 CHF/t (341.19 EUR/t). This represents a 0.52% increase over October (365.2 CHF/t), but a 3.34% decrease as compared to November 2015. Continue reading "Wood pellets’ price in Switzerland rises in month, but still lower than a year ago"
Germany: Price index for wood products stable in September
In September, the German producer prices for wood products have remained largely at the level of August. On a year on year basis, the prices trend inconsistently, but with the majority trending down.
From August to September, seven of the 17 wood products have not changed at all. This applies especially to hardwood products and wood materials. In the further 8 products, the changes are Continue reading "Germany: Price index for wood products stable in September"
UK: Significant increase in the use of structural timber frame by housing sector
Over the last 12 months, there has been a significant increase in the use of structural timber frame by the housing sector.
Increasing market share rose up to 27.6% in 2015 and the sector has the potential to reach a 32.4% market share by 2018, while exceeding the growth predictions from 2014, as reported by the latest Timber Trends report, Continue reading "UK: Significant increase in the use of structural timber frame by housing sector"
US and Canadian sawmills improve softwood lumber production
During the first eight months of 2016, the US sawmills produced 22.012 billion board ft. (bbf) of softwood lumber, a 3.6% increase over the corresponding period of 2015 (21.250 bbf). Continue reading "US and Canadian sawmills improve softwood lumber production"
